Multiple hanger rack



April 8, 1947. J. H. HAMILTON 2,418,635

MULTIPLE HANGER RACK Filed Jan. 24, `194:6 5 Sheets-Sheet l April 8, 1947. J. H. HAMIITTON 2,418,635

MULTIPLE HANGER RACK Filed Jan. 24, 194e 3 sheets-sheet 2 127128373034.' elfleew 224 April s, 1947.

J. H. HAMlLToN MULTIPLE HANGER RACK Filed Jan. 24, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 :IH'ewZzev Patented Apr. 8, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE MULTIPLE HAN GER RACK J. Herbert Hamilton, Auburn, Maine Application January 24, 1946, Serial No. 643,086

Claims.

My presentl invention relates to multiple hanger racks.

Embodirnent-s of my invention are suitable for use in factories, or other workshops, where textile fabrics, such as sheets, pillow cases, blankets, curtains, and similar articles are to be sewn, hemmed, or otherwise operated upon.

Broadly, my improved rack consists of a plurality of -swinging hangers 'arranged substantially parallel to each other on a suitable framework, which framework in turn is mounted on an overhead track system, or if desired, the plurality of swinging hangers could be mounted on or attached to any suitable stationary or portable support.

Specifically, and in the preferred embodiment of my invention, the swinging hangers are arranged in vertical banks and swing horizontally on vertical pivots in such a manner that any of the materials thereon can be operated upon without disturbing the materials on the rack elements on either side thereof.

Because of the design and compactness of the hangers forming a unit of my invention, a large amount of material can be accommodated in a small space. The racks are made with a desired number of hanger elements per rack whichA allows the output per operator to be kept in units of racks, and to facilitate the computation of wages per employee.

Further, where Ithe articles are, for example, sheets, the same are kept oif the floor, thus keeping the same clean land free from excessive wrinkles. Also, by keeping the sheets suspended, they are subjected to a minimum amount of handling during the necessary sewing operation, and rehandling from one operation to another is eliminated, thereby keeping them smooth and preserving the mill finish of the cloth. Again, the use of devices of my invention increases production by eXpediting the passage of materials through the pliant.

` An object of my invention therefore, is an improved rack for handling sheet material.

Another object is an improved rack for sup porting and transferring sheet material during the performing of fabricating operations thereon.

@ther objects and novel features of the construction and `operation of apparatus embodying my invention will appear as'the description of the invention progresses.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodimentof a multiple hanger rack:

Figure 1 is a front elevation. Figure 2 is a plan View, and

Figure 3 is a side elevation.

Referring to the drawings, I I designates a horizontal support on which is swingingly mounted, intermediate the ends, the spaced rack supports i2. Rack supports I2 are constrained against longitudinal movement on the horizontal support 5i by collars I3 arranged on either end thereof, held in position by safety set screws I4, lock washers i5, and jam or lock nuts I6.

Each rack support I2 is provided with a boss I1, drilled and tapped to receive the threaded end of a square headed bolt I8 which passesthrough a, hole in the body of a two wheel trolley I9 which runs on the track of a monorail conveyers'ystem (not shown). On the bolts I8 are lock washers 2i! and lock nut-s 2 I, by means of which. the horizontal support I I may be adjusted` relative'tothe trolleys I9.

Secured one at each end of the horizontal support il 'by safety set screws 22, lock washer 23 and jam nuts 24 are right angle rack supports 25. Below the horizontal support I I, the right angle rack supports 25 are provided withholes 2b, at right angles to the horizontal supportV II and through which are positioned the horizontal arms of the angle supports 21. The lower ends of the right angle rack supports 25 are drilled and tapped to receive set screws, by means of which the angle supports may :be held in adjusted position on the right angle rack supports. rThe outer or left hand end of the angle supports are driiled to receive, as a, frictional rotating iit, the horizontal arms of binder rods 28. These horizontal arms extend toward each other (see Fig. l) and are secured together as aiunit by the coupling member 29. The vertical arms of the binder rods 23 are curved inward and then downward, as viewed in Fig. l, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. f

Positioned on the lower portion of the vertical arms of the spaced angle supports 2l are `the hanger supports Se. These hanger sup-ports 30 are arranged in pairs, and in the present multiple hanger rack embodiment of my invention, I employ two pair, arranged `one above the other. The lower end of the vertical arm of each angle support 2l is provided with notches 3l in order to ensure the proper distance between theV lowermost hanger support 30 and the lower edge of the horizontal arm of the angle support 2-1. The hanger supports if@ are secured to the vertical of the supports El by set screws 32, 'orby other suitable means.

Each pair of hanger supports 3D comprises a right hand supportand a, left'hand support. The

3 right hand support of each pair has a projection 33 at its right hand end, and the lett hand support of each pair has la projection at its left hand end 34, as viewed in front elevation (see Fig. 1) and these projections are beveled on their inner edges at an angle of approximately 45.

These hanger supports have hanger support projections 35 provided each with a vertically arranged hole to receive, as a frictional rotating t, the downwardly extending member 3s of a hanger bar 31.

The hanger bars 31 are constructed of a suitable length of metal rod bent in the form of a U, the two sides of the U lying substantially parallel to each other, as shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the sides are bent at an angle to the sides to form the downwardly extending members 33, the angle being such that the sides of the hanger bars 31 extend forwardly and upwardly from hanger supports 30.

On each of the upper sides of the hanger bars 31 is mounted a length of tubing 38, preferably of liber, and each such upper side is provided with an upwardly extending pin 39 adjacent the lhanger support 3i) to limit the rearward movement of the tubing 38.

I'n the embodiment of the invention shown in .the drawings, the unit employs two banks or rows of hanger bars 31 of thirty each, arranged one above the other. Any other number of hanger bars 31 per each row or bank may be employed, 'depending on the character of the work being done.

' Assuming that the material being worked upon is sheeting which is to be hemmed at each end, the `sheeting is torn into length, then folded lengthwise, and draped evenly over the hanger bars 31. This operation is continued until the unit is lled, and is ready to be transported from one place to another along the overhead monorail, at which time the binder rods 28 are moved into position on each side of the unit so as to prevent the sheets from spreading or swinging open. This keeps the complete sheet rack compact while it is in transit from one location to another along said monorail.

When the sewing machine operator is ready to lhem the sheets, she swings or lifts the binder rod upwardly so that it rests on the overhead track out of her way. She then swings or moves l rlower end of the outside double fold of the sheet,

passes the same through the sewing machine to make the seam, does the same with the inside fold, and as she nished hemming a sheet swings its hanger bar 31 to the left until it engages with the extreme left hand projection 34. She repeats Athis operation on each of the succeeding sheets until all are completed, after which she brings all sixty hangers to the center of the rack and then pulls down the binder rod to prevent the hangers from swinging out of place while the completed unit is moved along the overhead track Isystem to the point where inspection of the prod- .uct takes place, and the sheets or other items arel to be folded preparatory to being placed in stock or packaged for shipment to consumers.

; From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it will be evident that I have provided a construction which greatly facilitates keeping the sheets in the proper order ,while they arebeing processed. One outstanding 4 advantage of my construction is its compactness. By staggering the hangers relatively to one another as I have done, I reduce to the minimum the floor space needed to mount all sixty sheets closely together on their individual support and at the same time to so dispose the sheets that they may be separately processed without having them becoming entangled with one another or other complications.

Various minor changes in the arrangement of parts constituting the construction will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and coming within the purview of the invention, and therefore Iam not limited to the exactdetails as set out above other than as set out in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent'is:

l. An improved multiple hanger rack, comprising a support, means secured thereto for mount- -ing the same on an overhead monorail system,

a pair of angle supports secured to the support and having arms spaced apart from each other,

a pair of hanger supports arranged parallel toV each other and secured to the lower ends` of the arms of the angle supports, a plurality of parallelly arranged hanger elements pivotally mounted at their inner ends on the hanger supports, and binder rods mounted on the angle supports at each side of the plurality of hanger elements.

2. An improved multiple hanger rack, comprising a support, means secured thereto for swingingly mounting the same on an overhead monorail system, a pair of angle supports arranged parallel to and spaced apart from yeach Vother and with one arm of each extending horizontally and the other arm extending vertically, means for securing said angle supports to the Ylirst said support, a pair of hanger supports arranged parallel to each other and constituting a `unit and secured at their ends to the-lower ends of the vertically extending arms of the pair of angle supports, a plurality of parallelly arranged hanger elements pivotally mounted at theirinner ends on the hanger support, and binder rods mounted on the angle supports at each side of the plurality of hanger elements.

3. An improved multiple hanger rack, comprising a support, means rotatably mounted on the support for swingingly mounting the same on an overhead monorail system, a pair of angle supports, means secured to the ends of the support for holding the angle supports in adjusted position relative to the support and spacing the angle supports from and parallel to each other, said angle supports each having an arm positioned horizontally and an arm positioned vertically, a plurality of hanger supports arranged in a vertical bank and with a pair of hanger supports constituting a unit, said plurality of hanger supports being secured at their ends to the lower portion of the verticalarms of the angle supports, and a plurality of parallelly arranged hangerelements each pivotally mounted at its inner end on the hanger support Vand constituting a bank of hangers extending outwardly from the hanger supports. 1

4. An improved multiple hanger rack, comprising a support, means rotatably mounted on the support for swingingly mounting the same on an overhead monorail system, a pair of angle spports, means secured to the ends of the support for holding the angle supports in adjusted position relative to the supportand spacingthe angle supports from and parallel to each other, said angle supports each having an arm positioned horizontally and an arm positioned vertically, a plurality of hanger supports arranged in a vertical bank and with a pair of hanger supports constituting a unit, said plurality of hanger supports being secured at their ends to the lower portion of the vertical arms of the angle supports, and a plurality of parallelly arranged hanger elements each pivotally mounted at its inner end on the hanger support and constituting a bank of hangers extending outwardly from the hanger supports and movable individually and collectively in vertical axes on the hanger support.

5. An improved multiple hanger rack, comprising a support, means rotatably mounted on the support for swingingly mounting the same on an overhead monorail system, a pair of angle supports, means secured to the ends of the support for holding the angle supports in adjusted position relative to the support and spacing the angle supports from and parallel to each other, said angle supports each having an arm positioned horizontally and an arm positioned vertically, a plurality of hanger supports arranged in a vertical bank and with a pair of hanger supports constituting a unit, said plurality of hanger supports being secured at their ends to the lower portion of the vertical arms of the angle supports, a plurality of parallelly arranged hanger elements each pivotally mounted at its inner end on the hanger support and constituting a bank of hangers eX- tending outwardly from the hanger supports, and binder rods mounted on the angle supportsto limit the pivotal movement of the hanger ele- 10 ments.

J. HERBERT HAMILTON REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 15 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

